ELON Musk has been accused of “incitement” after calling for “revolutionary government change” at a far-right rally led by agitator Tommy Robinson.
The X/Twitter owner joined Robinson’s “Unite the Kingdom” protest in London on Saturday via video link, and the comments he made have been condemned.
The tech billionaire claimed a “dissolution of Parliament” is needed and said “massive uncontrolled migration” was contributing to the “destruction of Britain”. He also told the crowd that “violence is coming” and that “you either fight back or you die”.
The Tesla boss has waded into British politics before, notably when he started a war of words with the UK Government over the grooming gangs scandal.
He has also criticised the UK’s Online Safety Act, calling the legislation a threat to free speech.
Musk told the crowd he wanted to see a UK where people “wake up and look forward to the future”, adding: “We must have revolutionary government change for that to occur. And this is not ordinary-course-of-business sort of stuff.
“This really requires everyone to sort of marshal the people, to take charge and reform the government, and make sure the government is for the people, by the people.”
“You can’t – we don’t have another four years, or whenever the next election is, it’s too long,” Musk said.
“Something’s got to be done. There’s got to be a dissolution of Parliament and a new vote held.”
Musk was interviewed by Robinson and appeared on a screen on stage so protesters could watch.
Around 110,000 people were estimated by police to have gathered in Whitehall, London, for the “Unite the Kingdom” event, which faced counter-protests by around 5,000 anti-racism campaigners.
At the end of the interview, Robinson said: “Not only are we in the fight right now, but we’re on the advance thanks to free speech being fought for, for us, by Elon Musk.”
Musk also called the political left “the party of murder” in reference to the death of Charlie Kirk, the Donald Trump ally and co-founder of right-wing young organisation Turning Point USA, who was shot this week.
The tech billionaire’s comments were condemned by Brendan Cox, the husband of murdered MP Jo Cox, who was killed in 2016 by Thomas Mair who uttered the words “Britain first” as he carried out the attack. “This is Elon Musk inciting violence,” Cox said. “He’s not hiding it. It’s not subtle. It’s plain and simple incitement.”
LibDem leader Ed Davey said on X: “Our democracy is too precious to be a plaything for foreign tech barons.
“Elon Musk doesn’t care about the British people or our rights. He only cares about himself and his ego.”
Broadcaster Mehdi Hasan said: “Truly shameful to see Musk do this. If anyone had any doubt how far right he is, how beyond the pale he is.
“Every Democratic politician in the US should call this out and pledge to revoke all his government access and contracts. To bless Tommy Robinson like this is unforgivable.”
Narinder Kaur added: “A Nazi-saluting white supremacist, even reviled by Republicans, is spreading hate and inciting violence amongst gullible racists in Britain! How is he getting away with this? Why are the headlines simply parroting what Musk said? I expect this from far-right rags, but even the left-wing papers are woefully short of disgust & condemnation!”
Business Secretary Peter Kyle was asked about whether he saw Musk’s comments as inciting violence.
“I thought that they were slightly incomprehensible comments that were totally inappropriate,” he told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme.
“But what we saw yesterday was over 100,000 people who were expressing freedom of association, freedom of speech, and proving that both of those things are alive and well in this country.
“A small minority of people who are protesting committed acts of violence against our police for which they should and they will be held accountable.”
